Special Educational Needs
An official questions-paper heading. 2,799 questions (33 oral, 2,766 written), first 2025-01-22, latest 2026-07-28.
Questions under this heading, per month
Jan 2025Jul 2026
Show as a table
| Month | Questions |
|---|---|
| Jan 2025 | 31 |
| Feb 2025 | 124 |
| Mar 2025 | 114 |
| Apr 2025 | 160 |
| May 2025 | 134 |
| Jun 2025 | 183 |
| Jul 2025 | 215 |
| Sep 2025 | 113 |
| Oct 2025 | 76 |
| Nov 2025 | 191 |
| Dec 2025 | 122 |
| Jan 2026 | 163 |
| Feb 2026 | 283 |
| Mar 2026 | 270 |
| Apr 2026 | 167 |
| May 2026 | 181 |
| Jun 2026 | 171 |
| Jul 2026 | 101 |
Addressed to
| Department | Questions |
|---|---|
| Education | 2,737 |
| Children | 37 |
| Health | 17 |
| Further and Higher Education | 5 |
| Social | 3 |
Debates under the same heading
Dáil debate sections whose official heading is exactly these words.
The questions
Thomas Gould
written
2025-03-19 · to Education
638. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Education the number of children without a special school place in Cork for the 2025-2026 school year. [11406/25]
Johnny Guirke
written
2025-03-19 · to Education
641. Deputy Johnny Guirke asked the Minister for Education her plans to address the lack of ASD classes in the coming school year in Meath; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11421/25]
Barry Ward
written
2025-03-19 · to Education
644. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Education the position regarding the provision of special classes in fee paying schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11482/25]
Cian O'Callaghan
written
2025-03-19 · to Education
647. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Education to examine the case of a child (details supplied) who is at risk of expulsion from primary school due to a lack of additional supports available; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11544/25]
Jennifer Whitmore
written
2025-03-19 · to Education
651. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Education the steps taken to address the lack of school places in Carlow for children with special educational needs, specifically referring to a five-year-old boy (details supplied) whose parents have applied to 11 different schools in Carlow, Laois and Athy and have been refused by each one due to a lack of spaces; and if she will make a state…
Naoise Ó Muirí
written
2025-03-19 · to Education
652. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Education if she plans to approve a special learning difficulties reading class in north Dublin; the timeline for this expansion; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11591/25]
Louis O'Hara
written
2025-03-19 · to Education
653. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Education if an additional SNA would be provided to a school (details supplied). [11616/25]
John Lahart
written
2025-03-19 · to Education
654. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Education the measures being considered to support children with special educational needs who are unable to attend mainstream or special schools due to severe anxiety, ASD, or other related conditions; if there are plans to expand long-term online learning options beyond temporary home tuition schemes; if consideration will be given to developing str…
Eoghan Kenny
written
2025-03-19 · to Education
664. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Education if consideration will be given to the option of opening a second ASD classroom in school (details supplied) for the coming academic year, 2025-2026, given the school has a classroom fitted and ready to go and has seven children on its current waiting lists; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11667/25]
Ken O'Flynn
written
2025-03-19 · to Education
666. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education the steps she will take to ensure a child (details supplied) receives appropriate education and support, following the child's expulsion from school after a decision by the school board; if it is her policy to allow a child with additional needs, including a diagnosis of autism and ADHD, to be expelled from primary education without alternat…
Emer Currie
written
2025-03-19 · to Education
680. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Education if the National Council for Special Education runs a communications campaign; if so, the communication channels used to inform parents that they should contact the council to secure a school place for children with additional needs in a special class or special school; the budgetary allocation for such communication; and if she will make a s…
Emer Currie
written
2025-03-19 · to Education
681. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Education if the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has any engagement with third parties, such as pre-schools, public nurses, the HSE, assessment of need providers, primary care centres, community centres and resource and family centres, to inform parents that they should contact the NCSE to secure a school place for children with addition…
Emer Currie
written
2025-03-19 · to Education
682. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Education the steps and process the National Council for Special Education undertakes each year to identify demand for special classes and special school places in local areas, such as Dublin 15; if the council relies on parents contacting it directly or an overall national percentage is used as part of that process; and if she will make a statement o…
Emer Currie
written
2025-03-19 · to Education
683. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Education whether the NCSE has to report to her Department on the number of new special classes or special school classes are required in Dublin 15 for September 2025; and if so, when that report was received. [11811/25]
Brian Brennan
written
2025-03-19 · to Education
689. Deputy Brian Brennan asked the Minister for Education if she will consider establishing a special school or pre-school unit for children with additional needs in a school building which is no longer in use (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11832/25]
Mark Ward
written
2025-03-19 · to Education
690. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Education when enrolment will be open for applicants for the new special school in Griffeen Avenue, Lucan; the process and criteria for new applicants; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11836/25]
Brian Brennan
written
2025-03-19 · to Education
691. Deputy Brian Brennan asked the Minister for Education to consider establishing a special school, or pre-school unit for children with additional needs in a building no longer in use by a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11876/25]
Paul Murphy
written
2025-03-19 · to Education
694. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Education if her attention has been drawn to the case of a child (details supplied) who has autism and is yet to receive a school placement; if she will instruct her Department to ensure this child has a place by September 2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11897/25]
Cathal Crowe
written
2025-03-19 · to Education
695. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Education if she will intervene in the case of an additional special classroom for a primary school in County Clare (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11903/25]
Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin
written
2025-03-19 · to Education
710. Deputy Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin asked the Minister for Education if she will open a special education school in the premises where a school (details supplied) is vacating in Gorey, County Wexford; the funds available to support special education schools for 2025; the number of special education places for the catchment area of Gorey, County Wexford; and if she will make a statement on the matt…
Eoghan Kenny
written
2025-03-19 · to Education
715. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Education the total number of suspensions and expulsions in each special school across Ireland for the past three academic years, in tabular form, including any relevant details regarding the demographic breakdown where available; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12102/25]
Ann Graves
written
2025-03-19 · to Education
719. Deputy Ann Graves asked the Minister for Education the steps being taken to address the lack of school places for children with additional needs in the Donabate area; the options that will be open to parents who do not get a school place in September; and if a series of queries (details supplied) will be addressed. [12127/25]
Louise O'Reilly
written
2025-03-19 · to Education
739. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Education for details on the number of schools in Balbriggan which expressed an interest in opening a specialist class for the school year 2025/2026, the number of these applications refused; the reasons for refusals; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12453/25]
Louise O'Reilly
written
2025-03-19 · to Education
740. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Education for details on the number of schools in Balbriggan approached by the national council for special education to open a specialist class in the last three years in tabular form; what percentage the schools declined; the reasons given for these refusals; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12454/25]
Louise O'Reilly
written
2025-03-19 · to Education
741. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Education for the number of schools in Fingal west that expressed an interest in opening a specialist class for the school year 2025/2026, the number of these applications refused; the reasons for refusals; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12455/25]